Your consultation with a client is absolutely the key interaction, no matter what the client’s skin color. Establishing your role as the skin care expert early on will build trust with the client. Ask the right questions, dig a little deeper, and learn as much about them during the first consultation as this will help prevent problems in the future, since you will have solid…

The key to a lucrative career in aesthetics is developing excellent waxing skills and that requires educating yourself on how to properly wax skin of color. Each ethnicity has specific considerations when applying wax and removing hair. ASIAN SKIN Asian skin tends to be sensitive. An Asian client needs to abstain from any harsh skin care products to the area being waxed in order to…

Laser-based treatments can be some of the most transformative treatments for a client, but also some of the riskiest, as improper application can result in blistering, delayed healing, infection, and even scarring. If your scope of practice includes light-energy devices, you need to know how light energy is absorbed by the skin. Skin of color requires additional consideration when performing laser treatments. UNDERSTANDING WAVELENGTH Lasers…

Chemical peels are an effective treatment in the aesthetician’s toolbox due to their versatility. With the proper acid solution you can treat many skin conditions including acne, rosacea, and fine lines, as well as improve texture and pore size. You must keep in mind, however, that additional consideration and preparation is required when treating skin of color with a series of chemical peels. We will…

Human beings have been classifying each other for thousands of years. We classify according to religion, wealth, education, politics, race, and more. This compulsion can be quite extreme, as was the case with Felix Von Luschan, an anthropologist who created 36 ceramic tiles of varying colors in order to categorize human skin tones in the late 1800s. This was used in anthropological studies until the…